this reason is alledged among other euen in the boke of Common prayers And that it is not to make baptisme perfect the boke of common prayers it selfe declareth in these words And that no man shall thinke any detriment shall come to children by deferring of their confirmation he shall know for truth that it is certaine by Gods vvorde that children being baptised haue all things necessarie for their saluation and be vndoubtedly saued You adde as though the Byshop coulde giue the holy Ghost the Byshop may vse the ceremonie vsed by the Apostles that is imposition of handes may safely say this godly prayer conteyned in the boke Defend O Lord this child vvith thy heauenly grace that he may continue thine for euer and dayly encrease in thy holy spirite more and more vntill he come vnto thy euerlasting kingdome Amen And other such godly praiers ther conteyned Of any other kinde of giuing the holy ghost there is no mention in that booke and therefore these additions myght very wel haue bene left out of your libell But of the Bishops benedictiō by laying on of his hands heare Master Caluines iudgement in his Instit. cap. 19. secti 4. Talem manuum impositionem quae simpliciter loco benedictionis fiat lando et restitutam hodie in purum vsum vilim Such imposition of handes as is simplie made in the steade of blessing I do commend and vvish that it vvere restored at this day to the pure vse There shall you also reade the very self same for me manner of confirmation allowed which is now vsed in this Church of England To the ende of the eleuenth reason these wordes be added and open our eyes that we may see what that good and acceptable will of God is and be more earnest to prouoke his glorie to the which I only answere Amen In the ende of the twelfth there is something left out which they haue placed in the 13. reason but it is answered before Fol. 6. There is nothing added or altered worth the noting only in the fiftenth reason where they sayde before that we honored Byshoppes by the titles of Kings nowe they haue recanted that and condemned themselues of an vntruth for they haue left out that title In the ende of that fiftéenth article or reason this is added and whiche of them haue not preached against the Popes two swords nowe whether they vse them not thēselues Touching the Popes two swords we are of the same minde stil for the Pope contrary to the worde of God taketh from Princes vnto him selfe that authoritie whiche is due vnto them by the worde of God and woulde haue them to receiue that authoritie from him whiche he hath no power to gyue the Pope also requireth the full authoritie of a ciuill magistrate and exempteth him selfe from all subiectiō which is flat contrary to the word of God our Byshops in this Church do not challenge as of their owne right any such ciuill authoritie but only according to their duty execute that that by the Prince lawes of this Realme for iust considerations is layde vpō them Neither do they medle in all ciuill causes or exercise all ciuill iurisdiction but such only as helpeth to discipline and to the good gouernment of this church and state Wherefore we may safely preache against the Popes two swords and yet lawfully defende that iurisdiction and authoritie that any bishop hath in this Church for any thing that I knowe Fol. 7. Wheras before it was thus in the margent and. 19. reason to proue that the regiment of the church shoulde be spirituall reade Eph. 1.23 1. Thess. 5.13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 now it is thus altered to proue that the regiment of the church should be spirituall read Caluine in his cōmentaries vpon these places Eph. 1.23 1. Thes. 5. 13.1 Ti. 5.2 Heb. 10.30 Belike bicause the scriptures thēselues do not sufficiētly proue your assertiō therfore you would haue vs to leaue them to reast vpon Caluines interpretation which is nothing else but to prefer mans iudgemēt before the word of god or to giue master Caluine authoritie to conclude that which is not determined by the scripture If this be not your meaning why flye you frō those places themselues to master Caluines interpretatiō vpon them But what if you now abuse master Caluines cōmentaries vpon these places as you did before the places themselues In his commentaries vpon Ephe. 1. vse 23. This is all that he sayth touching this matter Nam vtcunque Christus omnia perficiat nutu virtuteque sua tamē specialiter loquitur hic Paulus de spirituali ecclesiae gubernatione Quanquam nihil interea impedit quo minus de vniuersali mundi gubernatione accipias For howsoeuer Christ maketh perfecte all things with his becke and by his power yet Paule speaketh here especially of the spiritual gouernemēt of the church Although that in the meane time it is no hinderance why thou mayest not also vnderstād it of the vniuersall gouernement of the world These words serue litle for your purpose There is no man that doubteth but that Christe doth spiritually gouerne his Churche and raigne in the hartes of the faithfull by hys sprite But your meaning is that the gouernement of the Churche is only spirituall which you can no more gather of these wordes of Caluine than you may that the gouernemente of the whole world ought only to be spirituall The same Caluine writing vppon .1 Thessa. 5 vers 12. for the which you haue noted the .13 saith on this sorte Hoc additum videtur ad notandum spirituale regimen tametsi enim Reges quoque magistratus Dei ordinatione prosunt quia tamen ecclesiae gubernationem dominus peculiariter vult suam agnosci ideo nominatim praeesse in Domino dicuntur qui Christi nomine mandato ecclesiam gubernant This seemes to be added to note the spirituall regiment For although kings also and Magistrates do gouerne by the ordinance of God yet bycause the Lorde would haue the gouernemente of the Churche knowne peculierly to be his therefore namely they are saide to rule in the Lorde whiche gouerne the Churche in the name of Christe and by hys commaundemente Hitherto Caluine also affirmeth that whiche no man denieth that God doth by the ministerie of his worde spiritually gouerne his Church But this taketh not away the ciuill Magistrate neyther yet ciuill lawes made by the Magistrate externally also to gouerne the Churche In his Commentaries 1. Ti. 5. verse 2. he speaketh not one word of this matter for any thing that I can perceiue Vppon the place to the Hebrewes he onely sheweth that God dothe gouerne hys Churche the whiche I thinke no man is so wicked as to denye You muste more plainly sette it downe what your meaning in this matter is before you can be fully aunswered For to proue that God dothe spiritually gouerne his Churche is néedlesse being denied of none either Papiste or Protestant
¶ An answere to a certen Libel intituled An admonition to the Parliament By IOHN VVHITGIFTE D. of Diuinitie 1. COR. 8.2 If any man thinke that he knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to knowe 1. COR. 11.16 If any man be contentious we haue no suche custome neyther the Churches of God. GALA 5.26 Let vs not be desirous of vayne glorie prouoking one another enuying one another ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for Humfrey Toy Anno. 1572. ¶ To his louing Nurie the Christian Church of England I. VV. a member and minister of the same vvisheth peace in Christ and continuance of his glorious gospell euen to the vvorlds ende THere bee diuers thinges especially fiue that wheÌ„ I first tooke this labour in hande had almost vtterly dissuaded me from the same First bycause I doe with all my hart hate contention and strife and especially in matters of religion among such as professe the selfe same Gospell Secondly for that I feared gretly least some slander might redounde to the Gospell by this open contention séeing that God is not the authour of contention or confusion but of peace Thirdly I doubted whether this kinde of dealing by writing might minister matter to the common aduersaries of the Gospell to reioyce and glorie and to flatter them selues the more in their damnable errors Fourthly I greatly suspected the slanderous reportes of the backbiter and of the vnlearned tonâ—ue â–ª the 〈◊〉 bycause he loueth to speake euill and heare euill of all those that be not in all pointes inclinable to his phansie whereof I haue great experience being my selfe most vniustlye slandered by that viperous kinds of men the other bycause they be not able to iudge of controuersies according to learning and knowledge and therefore are ruled by affection carried hedlong with blind zeale into diuers sinister iudgementes erronious opinions Lastlye bycause I knowe sundrie in all respectes worthie men much more able to deale in suche matters than I am But when I considered my dutie towardes God to his Churche and to our most gracious Lady and soueraigne Elizabeth hir Maiestie by whose ministerie God hath giuen his Gospell frée passage vnto us the first stoppe and hinderaunce was answered For I thought that that dutie ought not to be omitted for any such cause séeing God and not man shall be my Iudge and also that not he which defendeth the truthe and confuseth errours but he that impugneth the truthe and spreddeth sectes is the authour of contention Likewise when I remembred the it was no new thing to haue contentions sectes schismes in the Churche of Christ especially when it enioyeth externall peace and that we had manifest examples therof from time to time first in Peter Paule ad Gala. 2. Paule Barnabas Acto 15 then in the Churche of the Corinthians 1. Cor. 1. and .3 Afterwardes betwixt the orientall Church occidentall Church touching Easter such like matters Betwixt the Bishops of Aphrica and the Bishops of Italie for rebaptising of heretikes sundrie times yea vsuallie in the external peace of the church as may be more at large séene in Eusebius Lib. 4. eccle histo ca. 6. lib. 5. ca. 24.25.26 li. 8. c. Likewise in Ruffinus li. 1. ca. 1. In Zozom Li. 6. ca. 4. In Basilius magnus epist. 61. ad fratres Episcopas in accidente epist. 69. and in sundrie other auncient and learned histories and writers For the second point I was satisfied for I thought that that could be no slander to this Church which by the malice of Sathan hath bene practised in all Churches euen synce the ascention of Christ. Thirdly when I perceiued the these men against whome I nowe write did agree with the aduersaries in defacing the state of religion the order of coÌ„mon prayers the ministerie the sacramentes the kind of gouermeÌ„t c. vsed and allowed in this realme of England and that in as opprobrious spitefull manner as the aduersaries do likewise that they séeke to ouerthrow the selfe same pillers of this Church with the aduersaries although not by the selfe same meanes I thought that the confutation and ouerthrowe of the one should be the confutation ouerthrow of the other and therefore the aduersaries to haue small cause in déed of reioycing Against backbiters slanderers and vnlearned tongs I shall by Gods grace arme my selfe with pacience for their taulke is no sufficient cause for a man to absteyne from dooing his dutie To conclude I although the vnworthiest and vnméetest of a great nuÌ„ber was bold to take vpon me this enterprise partly to shew that the booke called the Admonition is not such but that it may easily be answered and especially to satisfie mine owne coÌ„science for I coÌ„sidered that if no man had taken vpon him the enuie of the coÌ„mon sort in withstanding the enterprises procéedings of the Anabaptists wheÌ„ they began in Germanie Anabaptisme had ouerrunne those Churches vtterly destroyed them These were the reasons that satisfied the former obiections and especiallye moued me to take vppon me this labour wherewith if I can also satisfie others I haue my desire if not yet haue I done my dutie and satisfied mine owne conscience And for asmuche as the matter toucheth the state of the whole Church of England I thought it most méete to dedicate this my booke rather vnto the same generally than to any one particuler member thereof protesting that if I haue affirmed any thing therein that by learning and good reasons may be proued erronious I will reforme the same for I wholly submit it to the rule of Gods worde and the iudgement of those that he learned discrete wise The Lord blesse the o deare spouse of Christ with the continuance of his Gospell of the Quenes Maiestie and of godlye peace and quietnesse Amen A briefe examination of the reasons vsed in the booke called an Admonition to the Parliamente FIrst in that booke the scripture is most vntollerably abused and vnlearnedly applyed quoted only in their margent to delude both such as for lacke of learning can not and suche as either for slouthfulnesse or some preiudicate opinion will not examine the same as I haue particulerly declared in my aunswere following Secondly their proofes consist especially of these arguments The first is ab eo quod est secundum quid ad id quod simplicitorest as such and such things were not in the Apostles time Ergo they ought not to be nowe Whiche kinde of argumente is very deceiptfull and the mother and welspring of many both olde and newe schismes of old as of them that called them selues Apostolicos and of the Aërians of new as of Anabaptists who considering neither the diuersitie of times concerning the externall ecclesiastical pollicie nor the true libertie of the christian religion in externe rytes and ceremonies in matters neither commaunded nor forbidden in Gods lawe nor the authoritie of Christian magistrates in
readie and vvyllyng to obeye to obserue those thinges vvhyche are appoynted accordyng to this rule not to contemne them nor negligentely to omitte them so farre off ought they to be from breaking them openly through disdayne and contumacie But thou vvylte saye vvhat libertie of conscience can there bee in so precyse and straighte obseruyng of them Truly the libertie of conscience maye vvell stande vvith it yf vve shall consider that these Lavves and decrees to the vvhiche vve are bounde bee not perpetuall or suche as are not to bee abrogated but onely externall rudimentes of mans infirmities vvhereof notvvithstanding vve all stande not in neede yet vvee all vse them bycause one of vs is mutually bounde to an other to nourishe loue and Charitie among oure selues This vve maye learne in the examples vsed before VVhat dothe religion consiste in a vvomans vayle that by no meanes shee maye goe abroade bare headed Or is the commaundemente touching hir silence suche as it maye not be broken vvithout vvickednesse or is there any mysterie in kneeling or in burying the dead that may not be omitted vvithout great offence no truly For if such hast be required of a woman to helpe hir neighbour that shee can haue no leysure to couer hir head shee dothe not offende thoughe shee runne oute bare headed And there is a tyme and place vvhen and vvhere it is as meete for hir to speake as it is else where to holde hir peace Him also to praye standyng whiche beeing letted vvith some disease can not kneele there is nothyng forbiddeth To be short it is better in tyme to burye the dead than to tarrye for a vvynding sheete or some to carrie him vntill he stinke aboue the grounde But there is somevvhat euen in those thynges vvhiche the custome of Religion lavves and decrees humanitie it selfe and the rule of modestie vvilleth vs to doe and to take heede of vvherein if vve shall thorough ignoraunce and forgetfulnesse offende there is no synne committed But if thorough contempte or contumacie it is to be reproued In lyke maner it skilleth not vvhat dayes be appointed vvhat houres vvhat manner of places touchyng the buyldyng vvhat Psalmes are to bee song thys daye or that daye And yet there muste certayn dayes be appoynted and certaine houres and a place meete to receiue all if vve haue any respect to keepe vnitie and peace For vvhat confusion vvere it and of hovve greate contentions and bravvlyngs the seede and cause yf euery man as hee listeth myghte alter and chaunge those things whiche pertayne to the common state Seyng that it vvoulde neuer be brought to passe that one thyng coulde please all men if suche matters vvere lefte indifferente and committed to euery mannes arbitremente novve if anye man repyne or grudge and will heere seeme vvyser than it behoueth him let him consider by vvhat reason he can excuse his vvayvvardnesse to the Lorde Notvvithstanding that saying of Saincte Paule muste satisfye vs VVee haue no custome to contende neyther the Churches of God. Thus farre Caluine In whyche woordes wée haue these thyngs to consyder Fyrst that GOD hath in Scripture fully and playnely comprehended all those things that be necessarie to saluation Secondly that in Ceremonies and externall discipline hée hath not in Scripture particularly determined any thyng but lefte the same to hys Churche to make or abrogate to alter or contynue to adde or take awaye as shall be thoughte from tyme to tyme moste conuenient for the presente state of the Churche so that nothing be doone againste that generall rule of Saincte Paule 1. Cor. 14. Lette all things be doone decently and in order Thirdly that it is the dutie of a Christian man withoute superstition willingly to obey such constitutions not to contemne them not to neglect them muche lesse stubbornly and arrogantly to breake them Fourthly that the obseruyng of them taketh not libertie from the conscience bicause they be not made to be perpetuall and inuiolable but to be altered as tyme occasion and necessitie requireth Fifthely that all oughte to obeye suche ordinaunces for charitie sake thoughe all stande not in néede of them Sixthly that if a man do violate them by ignoraunce or forgetfulnesse he doth not offende if by contempte or stubbornesse he doth greatly offende Seuenthly that confusion which is to suffer euery man to doe what he list is the séede of contention and brauling Last of all that the true Ministers of God be not contentious neither yet the Churches of God. These things among other I thought good to note out of master Caluines words which if they were diligently considered such contentions might soone be ended Of the same iudgement in this matter is master Bucer as it apeareth in his Epistle to master Alasco These be his words If you vvill not admitte suche libertie and vse of vesture to this pure and holy Churche bicause they haue no commaundement of the Lorde nor example of it I do not see hovve you can graunt to any Churche that it may celebrate the Lordes Supper in the morning and in an open Churche especially consecrated to the Lorde that the Sacrament may be distributed to men kneeling or standing yea to vvomen asvvel as to men For vve haue receyued of these things neither commaundement of the Lorde nor any example yea rather the Lorde gaue a contrarie example For in the euening and in a priuate house he did make his Supper and distributed the Sacramentes and that to men onely and sitting at the table Hac Bucâ—rus But to ende this matter is it not as lawfull for a godly Prince with the aduise and consent of godly and learned Byshoppes and other of the wysest to make orders in the Churche and lawes Ecclesiasticall as it is for euery priuate man to vse what maner and forme of seruice he liste and other order and discipline in hys owne parishe which these men séeke and striue to do An examination of the places of Scripture alleaged in this portion of the admonition TO proue that nothing in this mortall life is more diligently to be sought for carefully to be looked vnto than the restitution of true religion and reformation of Gods Churche there is noted 2. Reg. 23. 2. Chron. 17. 2. Chron. 29.30.31 Psalm 132. Math. 21. Iohn 2. In the first place it is declared howe Iosiah after he had founde the booke of the Lawe reformed the Churche In the seconde place Iehosaphat tooke away the high places and groues out of Iuda c. In the. 29.30.31 of the. 2. Chron. is described the dooings of Ezechias in repayring the temple and reforming Religion c. In the. 132. Psalme it is declared with what care Dauid went about to build the temple of God after that he was once established in his kingdome In the. 21. of Math. Iesus went into the temple and caste out all them that solde and boughte in the temple c. the like he did in the seconde of Iohn All this is
threatned and yll vsed at their hands began to faynt and to be wéery of his office Cyprian hearing therof wrote comfortably vnto him and willed him in any wise to procéede shewing further what sectes and schismes ensueth in any prouince or diocesse wheras the Byshops authoritie is despised for in these words he speaketh not of the vsurped authoritie of the Byshop of Rome ouer all Churches but agaynst the insolencie of some which despising their Metropolitane or Archebyshop did with their factiousnesse trouble the Churche For he would haue an Archebyshop in euery prouince which should beare the chéefe rule ouer the rest of the Cleargie and so doe the godlyest and best learned expounde Cyprian The same Cyprian wryting to one Florentius Pupianus speaking in his owne behalfe béeing Byshoppe of Carthage sayth on this sorte Vnde schismata haereses obortae sunt oriuntur nisi dum Episcopus qui vnus est Ecclesiae praest superba quorundam praesumptione contemnitur homo dignatione dei honoratus ab hominibus indignis iudicatur From vvheÌ„ce haue heresies and schismes sprong heretofore and vvherof spring they novv but that the Byshop vvhich is one and gouerneth the church by the presumptuous disdayne of certen is despised and a man preferred by Gods allovvaunce is examined and iudged by vnvvorthy men For it is the chéefe and principal office of an Archebishop to kéepe vnitie in the Church to compound conteÌ„tions to redresse heresies schismes factions to sée that Byshops and all other of the Clergie whiche be vnder him doe their duetie c. And therefore Hierome writing vppon the first to Titus sayth that in the beginning a Byshop and a Priest was all one but after that there began to arise factions in religion some said they held of Apollo some of Paule some of Cephas and some of Chryst it was decréed that one shoulde be chosen to beare rule ouer the rest to whom the chéefe care of the Churche should appertayne and by whom sectes and schismes should be cut off Here a man may reason thus the distinction of degrées began in the Churche when men began to say I holde of Paule I holde of Apollo c. But this was in the Apostles time .1 Cor. 1. Therefore these distinctions of degrees began in the Apostles time The same Hierome in his Epistle ad Euagrium teacheth that the cause why one was chosen among the bishops to rule ouer the rest was in schismatis remedium ne vnusquisque ad se trahens Christi Ecclesiam rumpereâ— to meete vvith schismes lest euery one according to his ovvn fansie shoulde teare in peeces the Churche of Christe And sayth further that in Alexandria from S. Marke vnto Heracla and Dyonisius Byshoppes the ministers vsed to electe one among them selues whome they placing in a higher degrée called a Byshoppe euen as an armie shoulde choose their Capitayne or Deacons shoulde choose one of them selues whome they knewe to bée paynefull and call hym an Archedeacon Haec Hierom. In all these places Hierome dothe not maynteyne the authoritie of one man ouer the whole Churche but thinketh it necessarie that in euery Prouince there bée one to bée chéefe ouer the reste for vnitie sake and for rooting oute of contentions and sectes And therfore contra Luciferanos he sayth that onlesse this superioritie vvere there vvould be as many schismes in the Church as there be Priests Chrysostome writing vppon the twentith of Matthew sayth that the rebellious nature of man caused these distinctions of degrees that one shoulde be an Apostle another a Byshoppe another a Minister another a lay man And that onlesse there vvere suche distinctions of persons there could be no discipline And vpon the. 13. to the Romanes he sayth that bicause equalitie engendreth strife and contention therfore superioritie and degrees of persons vvere appoynted It is not to be denied but that there is an equalitie of all ministers of Gods worde quoad ministerium touching the ministerie for they haue al like power to preach the worde to minister the sacraments that is to say the worde preached or the Sacraments ministred is as effectuall in one in respecte of the ministerie as it is in another But quoad ordinem politiam touching order and gouernement there alwayes hathe bene and muste be degrées and superioritie among them For the Churche of God is not a confused congregation but ruled and directed as well by discipline pollicie in matters of regiment as by the worde of God in matters of fayth And therefore well sayth master Caluine in hys Institutions Cap. 8. That the twelue Apostles had one among them to gouerne the rest it vvas no maruell for nature requireth it and the disposition of man vvil so haue it that in euery company although they be all equall in povver yet that there be one as gouernour by vvhom the rest may be directed there is no court without a Consul no Senate without a Pretor no Colledge vvithout a President no societie vvithout a Master Haec Caluin Paule was superiour bothe to Timothie and Titus as it may easily be gathered out of his Epistles written vnto them Titus had superioritie ouer all the other pastours and Ministers which were in Creta for he had Potestatem constituendi oppidatim presbyteros ad Tit. 1. The which place master Caluine expounding sayth on thys sorte Discimus ex hoc loco c. We learne of this place sayth he that there was not suche equalitie among the ministers of the Churche but that one both in authoritie and councell dyd rule ouer an other Timothie bare rule ouer all the other Ministers of the Churche of Ephesus For Paule sayth vnto him 1. Tim. 5. Aduersus Presbyterum accusationem c. agaynst a Minister receyue no accusation onlesse there be tvvo or three witnesses In which words Paule maketh him a Iudge ouer the rest of the Ministers and Epiphanius Lib. 3. Tom. 1 contra heresim Aerij proueth Titus superioritie ouer the rest by this selfe same place That this worde Presbyter in this place of the Apostle signifieth a Minister of the word both Ambrose Caluin and other learned wryters declare Ignatius who was S. Iohn his scholer and lyued in Christes time in his epistle ad Tâ—rallianos speaketh thus of the authoritie of a Byshop ouer the rest Quid aliud est Episcopus quam quidam obtinens principatum potestatem supra omnes VVhat is a Bishop but one hauing povver and rule ouer all And in his epistle ad Smirnenses he writeth on this sorte Honora quidem Deum vt authorem vniuersorum Dominum Episcopum autem vt Sacordotum Principem imaginem Dei ferentem Dei quideÌ„ per principatum Christi vero per sacerdotium Honor God as the author and Lord of al things a Bishop as the chiefe of Preestes bearing the Image of God of God bicause of his superioritie of Christ by reason of his preesthod And a litle after Let lay men
no one man can discharge suche a cure and therfore he hath appoynted in his Churche diuers Byshops diuers Princes many Gouernours But one Prince may suffise to gouerne one kingdome and one Archebyshoppe one Prouince as chéefe and principall ouer the rest one Byshop one Dioces one Pastor one parishe neither doth the Apostle speake any thing to the contrarie In the .xij. to the Romanes it is thus written he that ruleth with diligence What maketh this for your purpose or how can you wring it to your assertion In the .5 of the .1 to Timothie The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour c. Paule sheweth in these words that suche are worthy their stipende and rewarde which rule well in the Churche and do their dueties diligently But what is that to your assertion The places alledged out of the fiftenth of the Actes bée of the like sorte Wheresoeuer mention is made in the Scriptures of gouernours or Elders that you alledge to improue the gouernement of one man wherein you shewe a greate wante of iudgement And yet there is no one person in this Realme the Prince onely excepted which hath suche absolute iurisdiction as you woulde make youre disciples beléeue But youre meaning is that Chryste lefte the whole gouernement of hys Churche to the Pastor and to some foure or fyue of the Parishe besides whiche you are not able to proue and your places of Scripture alledged signifie no such matter In déede as Ambrose saith writing vppon the .5 of the .1 to Timothie The Sinagoge and after the Church had seniors without whose counsell nothing was done in the Churche but that was before his time and before there was any Christian Magistrates or any Churche established neyther is there any authoritie in the whole Bible that enforceth or prescribeth that kynde of gouernement as necessarie or conueniente for all tymes no more than there is to proue that in the Churche there muste be alwayes suche as haue power to worke miracles or that haue the gift of healing and such lyke whiche offices notwithstanding are mencioned as well as gouernours in the first to the Corinth 12. Well sayth Musculus in his common places Tit. de magistratis Si reuocas temporum illorum mores primum conditiones statum quoque illorum reuoca If thou vvilt vse the manners of that tyme firste call againe the condition and state of that tyme That is let vs be withoute christian Magistrates as they were let vs be vnder tyrantes and persecutors as they were c. You say it is more easie for the wicked by brybing to peruerte corrupt one man thā to peruert ouerthrow the faith and pietie of a zealous godly cōpanie And therfore better the gouernment of the Church to bée committed to many than to one If this reason be good thē the more there be that rule the better is the gouernement and so popularis status erit optimus reipublicae status against all both diuinitie and Philosophie For we sée that God himselfe in his common weale of Israell did alwayes allowe the gouernement and superioritie of one ouer the rest bothe in the tyme of Iudges and after in the tyme of the kings And in the new Testament we may also sée that kynde of gouernement moste allowed of .1 Peter .2 But I will not here reason with you in this matter and call that into question whiche hath ben by so many learned menne determined and by the examples of all good common weales confirmed You that woulde haue all brought to suche a popularitie I pray you tell me in how many parishes in Englande coulde you fynde suche Pastors and suche Seniors as you say should be In those places that be gouerned by many doe you not sée what contention there is what enimitie what factions what partes taking what confusion what little good order obserued what carelesnesse and dissolutenesse in all manner of behauiour I coulde make this manifest by examples if I were disposed In the .18 of Exodus which place you quote to proue that Seniors ought to be zelous and godly Iethro giueth Moyses counsell not to wearie himselfe in hearing all matters that be brought vnto him but rather to commit the hearing determining of smaller matters to others And therefore verse .21 he sayth Prouide thou among all the people men of courage fearing God men dealyng truly hating couetousnesse and appoint such ouer them to be rulers ouer thousandes rulers ouer hundredes rulers ouer fifties and rulers ouer tennes c. This maketh nothing for Seniors Moses here was chiefe these were but his vnder officers placed by himselfe This place serueth well for the gouernement of one Prince ouer one whole realme and giueth him good counsell what vnder officers he ought to choose To the same effecte and purpose is that spoken and written which you cite out of the fyrst of Deuteron vse .13 Admonition Then it was sayd tell the Churche nowe it is spoken complayne to my Lordes grace Primate and Metropolitane of all England or to hys inferioure my Lorde Bishoppe of the Diocesse if not to him shewe the Chancelloure or Officiall or Commissarie or Doctoure Answere As it was said thē so ought you and may you say now In priuate offences if priuate admonitiōs will not serue then must you declare them to the Churche either by reprehending of them publiquely before the whole cōgregation if you be called therevnto for that is one kinde of telling the Churche or else by complayning to suche as haue authoritie in the Church for in that place of Matthew as all learned interpreters both old and new doe determine the Church signifieth such as haue authoritie in the Churche Therefore when you complaine to my Lords grace Lord Byshop of the dioces or their Chauncelloures Commissaries c you tell the Church that is suche as be appointed to be publique Magistrates in the Church according to the very true sense and interpretation of that place Admonition Agayne whereas the excommunicate were neuer receyued tyll they had publiquely confessed their offence Now for paying the fees of the Courte they shall by mayster Officiall or Chauncelloure easyly be absolued in some priuate place Then the congregation by the wickednesse of the offendoure greeued was by publique penaunce satisfied Nowe absolution shall be pronounced though that be not accomplished Then the partie offending shuld in his owne person heare the sentence of absolution pronounced Nowe Bishops Archdeacons Chauncellours Officials Commissaries and suche like absolue one man for an other And this is that order of ecclesiasticall discipline which all godly wishe to be restored to the ende that euery one by the same may bee kept within the limittes of his vocation and a greate number be broughte to liue in godly conuersation Answere If Chauncellors Cōmissaries c. do as you here charge them they do that whiche by Gods lawe they can not iustifie But I acknowledge my
vertue thereof then shoulde not our wordes and workes be deuorced but Christe shoulde bee suffered to reigne a true ministerie according to the worde instituted discipline exercised Sacramentes purely and sincerely ministred this is that we striue for and about which we haue suffered not as euill doers but for resisting poperie and refusing to bee stoong with the tayle of Antichristian infection ready to render a reason of our fayth to the stopping of all our enimies mouthes Wee therefore for the Churche of Gods sake whiche ought to be moste deare vnto you beseeche you for our Soueraignes sake vppon whom we pray that all Gods blessing may be poured abundantly wee pray you to consider of these abuses to reforme Gods Churche according to youre dueties and callings that as with one mouth we confesse one Christe so with one consente this raigne of Antichriste may bee turned oute headlong from amongest vs and Christe our Lord may reigne by his worde ouer vs So your seates shal be established and setled in great assurance you shall not neede to feare youre enemies for God will turne awaye his threatned plagues from vs whiche hee in mercie do for his Christes sake Amen Answere It is very well that you so lyke of the Articles but yet it pleaseth you not to subscribe vnto them You saye bycause of a poynt or two whiche are eyther too sparely or else to darkly set downe but in déede your meaning is to subscribe to nothing whiche by authoritie you are required to doe and that argueth an arrogante mynde and a disposition that loueth alwaye to bée singuler You note in the margent that the right gouernement of the Churche can neuer be separated from the doctrine But by your owne confession we haue the doctrine Ergo of necessitie we also haue the ryght gouernemente Here in few woords you haue caste downe whatsoeuer you séemed before to buyld so do commonly vnskilfull buylders I woulde to God that for so much as contrarie to your former assertion you nowe confesse that wée haue the veritie of doctrine you coulde be contente to saye downe great heart and submitte youre selues to the Quéenes Maiestie and hir lawes accordyng to your duetie then no doubt Christe shoulde withoute resistance reigne in this Churche and the frutes of the Gospell would much more appeare You bragge muche of youre suffering You are little beholden to youre neyghbours when you are thus constrayned to prayse your selues But I pray you whether dothe he persecute that modestely and soberly defendeth the truth or he that vnlawfully reuengeth himself withrayling and backbyting you loue very well to haue the worlde knowe howe greately you be persecuted And therfore if one of you here in Cambridge be punished but twentie pens for his open contempte of statutes to the which he is sworne in poste hast it is caried into al quarters and especially to London where great complaynte is made of this gréeuous persecution when as you your disciples ceasse not as I sayde moste falsly and slaunderously to reporte of suche as executyng good lawes discharge theyr conscience to GOD and their duetie towardes the Prince Wée therfore exhorte you if there be any feare of God before your eyes any reuerence towardes the Prince any desire of promoting the Gospell any louing affection towardes the Church of Christ to submit your selues according to youre duties to godly orders to leaue of contentiousnesse to ioyne with vs in preaching of the worde of God and beating downe the kyngdom of Antichrist that this your diuision procure not Gods wrath to be poured vppon vs. Additions detractions and alterations in this second part of the Admonition Folio 1. THere is added portuis For where before they sayd that our booke of Common prayers was culled and picked out of that popish dunghil the Masseboke nowe vpon better aduisement they saye that it was culled out of the portuis and massebooke It derogated nothing from the booke of Common prayers bicause some thing therin is in the portuis and massebook no more thā it derogateth from the Scriptures that some portion of them as the whole Psalmes and certain other portions of the Epistles Gospels and other Scripture be in the same neyther are they allowed bicause they be in the portuis and massebooke but bicause they be eyther scripture or most agréeable thervnto They also adde in the first reason that the cōming of women in vailes to be churched is not commaunded by law but yet the abuse to be great by reasō that superstition is growen therby in the heartes of many other are iudged that vse it not This is an argumēt of their former rashnes but not worthy any answer especially being cōfessed to be without the booke For the .120 psalm is now quoted the .121 psalm which I haue also corrected before Folio 2. For the .26 of Mat. is noted the .28 And this also I corrected in answering that place For the first to Timo. 3. vse 3. nowe they haue quoted 1. Ti. 3. vse 6. against reading ministers where S. Paule woulde not haue a minister to be a yong scholer but he speaketh nothing against reading Where it was before and minister a sacrament now is added according to their appoyntmente to what purpose I know not It was before reading is not feeding nowe it is thus amended for bare reading of the word and single seruice saying is bare feeding wherby they nowe confesse that reading is féeding althoughe it be as they saye but bare féeding Wée were in good case if the platforme of oure Churche depended vppon these men which alter their iudgements so sodeynly It is a true saying Conueniet nulli qui secum disside◠ipse Howe can he agree with other that doth not agree with himself There is also added in the same lease these woordes are not the people wel nodified think you when the homilie of sweeping the church is read vnto them Surely such slouting termes are vsed of none but of nodies in déede and suche as are more méete to be fooles in playes where they may iest than to be platformers of Churches in whom wisedome learning grauitie and godlynesse is to be required I know no Homilie entituled of sweeping the Churche one there is of repairing keeping cleane of churches whether it edifie or no I referre to the wise and discrete reader to iudge when he hath perused it Fol. 3. Before it was in the seconde reason for the verye name Apocrypha testifieth that they oughte rather to be kept close thā to be vttered Now it is for the very name Apocrypha testifieth that they were read in secret and not openly This is some correction of their former rashnesse But of this matter that is of reading Homilies in the Churche I haue spoken before I omitte .2 Timothie 3. verse .6 whyche is nowe verse .16 and .2 Peter 1. verse .20 whyche is now vers .19.20.21 For these bée not matters of any greate importaunce